Fire Chapter 10: The White Lotus
by Wren Sharpbeak
Summary: Aang and his companions finally reach the Fire Nation and must rely on the kindness of strangers to evade the Fire Lord’s soldiers.
1. Ch 1 Approach

**Disclaimer:** the characters and places in the following work of fan-fiction are the intellectual property of Nickelodeon and, as such, they reserve the right to remove this story at their sole discretion.

_**This story is the **__**tenth**__** in a series, so please read the other nine before continuing!**_

* * *

**_Previously on Avatar_**

"Tell me Aang, do you know the difference between romantic love and platonic love?"

"Uh…what's platonic?"

The guru shook his head slightly and let out a small sigh before explaining.

"Platonic love is that which is formed by the spiritual connection of entities. It is the love shared by families, friends, and close companions. Romantic love is similar, but includes a physical attraction. Neither one is more powerful than the other, and both have a place and purpose in the universe, however, romantic love is exclusive to one person whereas spiritual love is infinite and can be shared with any number of individuals."

"So," Aang began slowly as comprehension set in, "you're saying that in order to go into the Avatar State, I can love Katara, but I can't be in love with her?" He looked at the guru uncertainly.

"Precisely!" the old man beamed.

* * *

"You have no idea what this war has put me through," Katara yelled, "Me _personally_!" 

She turned her back to Zuko and crouched down with a sob. "The Fire Nation took my mother away from me."

* * *

Zuko turned sleepily in the darkness when his mother entered the room. 

"Mom?"

"Zuko, please, my love, listen to me," Ursa whispered as she drew him into a hug. "Everything I've done, I've done to protect you. Remember this Zuko. No matter how things may seem to change, never forget who you are."

The young prince could only blink in confusion while his tired brain tried to make sense of the strange comment. He watched blearily as she walked down the dark hallway…and then she was gone.

* * *

"I'm sorry," Zuko offered genuinely, and then turned to regard Katara fully. "That's something we have in common."

* * *

The guru followed Iroh's gaze down to the children sleeping on the balcony below them. Three young faces shone peacefully in the dim moonlight, but Aang and Zuko both tossed fitfully, each of them lost in their own troubled dreams. 

"Their link to each other is so much like the dependency between their native elements," Pathik observed, and he raised his arms slightly so that, in his field of vision, his hands cupped gently over Aang and Zuko's sleeping forms. Almost instantly, the two ceased their restless trembling.

"It is a shame my nephew and the Avatar cannot see that for themselves," said Iroh with a sigh. "It would undoubtedly make things much easier for both of them."

At this, the guru's eyes suddenly lit up with the glimmer of a solution as his hands dropped back to his knees.

"Hmph! Perhaps you are right," he chirped happily, and the two old men glanced at each other: Iroh with obvious confusion, and Pathik with a glint of mischievous epiphany. Looking back to the two sleeping boys, the guru mumbled to himself and nodded.

"It is certainly worth a try."

* * *

"I think something happened to him while he was there," Aang stated, "I'm not sure what, but I have a feeling that whatever it was, it wasn't pleasant." 

"How can you know that?" Katara asked skeptically, "and why does it even matter?"

"Exactly!" he exclaimed triumphantly, as though she had just described the problem in its entirety.

Katara looked at him in bewilderment. "You've completely lost me, Aang."

Aang sighed in frustration before launching off into an explanation akin to a parent trying to explain a simple but foreign concept to a young child.

"I know that something happened to Zuko, and I know that somehow it was very important. But there's no way I could even suspect any of this since I wasn't there to see it. So how am I able to know anything at all?"

* * *

"By direct order of Fire Lord Ozai, Wanted for High Treason: Zuko of the Fire Nation…" Sokka paused as it occurred to him that the warrant did not refer to him as 'Prince Zuko'. His eyes widened when he saw the bounty reward. 

"Whoa, Zuko's worth a _fortune_!"

"Keep reading," Iroh instructed grimly.

"Persons wishing to claim this bounty should-" Sokka stopped abruptly and swallowed uncomfortably as he digested the information on the page. And when he resumed, the distress and sadness he felt was evident in his voice and he struggled to get the words out of his mouth.

"Should present the…severed head of the criminal…as proof of…his demise," he finished quietly, laying the notice back down on the table.

* * *

Iroh placed the lotus tile in the middle of the board, receiving a knowing look from the man sitting across from him. 

"I see you favor the white lotus gambit," the old stranger remarked. "Not many still cling to the ancient ways."

"Those who do can always find a friend," answered Iroh meaningfully.

"Then let us play."

Zuko sat down and watched intently as the two men placed tile after tile on the board in rapid succession. When they were done, the tiles formed the shape of a lotus, with the lotus tile in the center.

"Welcome, brother," intoned the old stranger with a slight bow, "The White Lotus opens wide to those who know her secrets."

"What are you old gasbags talking about?" asked Zuko irritably. But Iroh merely smiled as he rolled a Pai Sho tile across his knuckles.

"I always tried to tell you that Pai Sho is more than just a game.

* * *

**Fire: Chapter 10**

**The White Lotus**

The ocean glistened like a dazzling blue jewel in the noon sunlight as Appa carried his passengers over the shallow waters leading to the Fire Nation's southern islands. Since their conflict with Tanha two days before, the mood in the group had been somber and tense. They hardly spoke to one another, and when they did, the exchanges were brief and only when necessary.

Sokka had made several admirable attempts to lighten everyone's spirits, all to no avail. So he'd finally given it up and, at the moment, he was occupying his time with a knife and a piece of wood. Beside him sat Zuko who was unbearably fidgety.

If the banished prince could have managed pacing in the saddle without fear of falling out, he would be doing just that. As it was, however, he was still not completely comfortable up in the air, so instead he sat and worried the buttons on the lower half of his tunic. It seemed that the closer they got to the Fire Nation, the more Zuko fidgeted…and it was driving Sokka _nuts_.

One of the few things the warrior could count on was that Zuko was always focused. Whether he was training, meditating, or doing nothing at all, the fire bender had a sense of calm intensity about him that, for whatever reason, made Sokka appreciate his company.

Maybe it was because it presented the challenge of trying to cajole the prince into displaying some normal teenage behavior such as showing interest in girls. Or perhaps it just made Sokka feel a bit more grounded himself, like when they were tracking Jet and Katara. Whatever it was, the fact that Zuko was no longer behaving like his usual unruffled self, that he was instead blatantly exhibiting his anxiety and restlessness, irritated Sokka to no end.

Finally, the water tribe warrior couldn't stand it anymore, and he picked up another piece of wood from his small pile and thrust it under the prince's nose, forcing him to jerk back from the sudden appearance of the object in front of his face.

"What's this for?" asked Zuko as he took it uncertainly, throwing a sidelong glance at the other teen.

"Carve," instructed Sokka tonelessly as he resumed whittling, keeping his eyes fixed critically on his own project. Muttering under his breath, he added, "Before you tear all the buttons off that shirt."

Zuko looked from the piece of driftwood to the warrior, then back to the wood before pulling out his knife. Peeking furtively from time to time at Sokka to see how he approached the task, Zuko tentatively shaved a few slices off before attacking the bit of lumber with mindless fervor.

Katara spared a glance at the two boys across from her, then to Iroh and Toph leaned up against each other taking a nap at the back of the saddle with Momo tucked between them, and at last then to Aang sitting silently at the reigns.

The Avatar had been no quieter than the rest of them for the past two days, but she couldn't help but feel that he was somehow more upset by the encounter with Tanha than anyone else was.

He seemed to have a constant glower on his usually cheerful face, and his mood was almost as dark as it had been when they'd lost Appa in the desert. For what seemed like the hundredth time, she wondered what the demon had used to try and tempt him. But the one time she had asked, his response had been so cold that she didn't dare try a second time.

With a small sigh, she turned her gaze back to the water below, lost in her own lonely thoughts as the group continued their ominous trek northward.

* * *

A single dragon-hawk soared past the gilt-edged banner, an indication that a member of the royal family was onboard, waving proudly atop the battle cruiser cutting through the waves of its nation's native waters. The bird landed gingerly on the rail outside the bridge and let out a shrill cry to let its presence be known. With military proficiency, a young fire bender quickly took the bird inside to the captain. 

The pudgy, older man read over the note carefully, his face paling somewhat as he did. Rolling it up with shaking hands, he looked over at one of the ensigns standing nearby.

"Request an audience with the Princess," he commanded nervously. "I have some news to deliver."

With a curt bow, the boy hurried off to do his commanding officer's bidding, not looking forward to being the one to interrupt Azula, but having no choice in the matter. He was sweating visibly as he neared the royal chamber, and hesitated before knocking. After what seemed like an eternity, the door opened, revealing the solemn, black haired girl who traveled with the Fire Lord's daughter.

"What do you want?" she droned.

Barely holding back a sigh of relief at having avoided a direct, face-to-face encounter with the ruthless princess, the ensign bowed quickly.

"Captain Zhen would like to request an audience with Her Royal Highness Princess Azula," he stated formally.

The young noblewoman looked expectantly over her shoulder for a moment, into the room behind her, before nodding slightly and turning back to the quaking soldier, her voice remaining passionless.

"She's not seeing anyone today."

"But there's a message…"

"It is urgent?"

"He…he didn't say," stammered the boy, "But-"

"Then it can wait until tomorrow."

With that, Mai slammed the door in his face and, not knowing what else to do, he headed back to the bridge feeling as if he'd only narrowly cheated death.

* * *

The first rosy colors of sunset brushed across the western sky as Appa continued his flight. Sokka and Zuko were now covered in piles of shavings, both of them deeply intent on their artistic endeavors. At last, Sokka held up his creation. 

"Tada!" he said triumphantly.

Zuko looked over at the boy's work, and immediately drew away with a look of disgust on his face.

"You spent five hours carving a pile of _rhino dung_?" he asked incredulously.

"What!? Rhino du- It's a _flower_!" he cried indignantly.

"It's hideous," remarked Zuko tactlessly.

"That's because I don't have any paint," Sokka retorted haughtily. "It's supposed to be red and gold like the ones in Yaozu's garden."

Zuko frowned in thought for a moment as he tried to recall what flowers had been present at the governor's house in Omashu. There was only one red and gold variety that he could think of.

"That looks _nothing_ like a star-flare rose," he pointed out dryly, and then returning to his own carving, added as an afterthought, "The petals are the wrong shape."

"Yeah? Well let's see yours," challenged the disgruntled warrior, petulantly snatching Zuko's project away from him.

When he opened his fist to see what the prince had made, Sokka's jaw dropped to his chest with an almost audible thud. Resting in the palm of his upturned hand was an almost perfect miniature of a sleeping Momo. An instant later, the fire bender whisked it back.

"It's not finished," he growled.

By now, Iroh and Katara had noticed the conversation and, catching a brief glimpse of Zuko's handiwork, the water bender crawled over.

"Wait, let me see that," she requested eagerly.

With an annoyed sigh, Zuko offered up the figurine for inspection. She took it carefully from his hand and turned it over a few times, viewing it from every angle with wide eyes.

"Where did you learn how to do this?"

Suddenly feeling a bit self-conscious, Zuko rubbed his neck awkwardly as he admitted, "I didn't know I could."

"It's amazing," breathed Katara, obviously impressed.

"Pft, he had a _model_," interjected Sokka resentfully.

"And so did you when _you_ tried to carve Momo once," she reminded him sardonically, "and it still looked like a turnip with rabbiroo ears."

At this revelation, the faintest hint of a wry smile lit Zuko's face as he glanced smugly at Sokka. But if he was expecting some admission of defeat from the other boy, he didn't get it, for Toph finally chimed in.

"Can I see it?" she asked timidly, sliding forward to sit near the siblings.

Katara handed her the statuette and let the blind girl run her fingers along the shaped surface, while Iroh examined it with interest from beside her.

"It really _does_ look like Momo," Toph announced with admiration, before handing it to Iroh, "only smaller."

"Ursa always said you were quite the artist," Iroh offered appraisingly as he took a closer look. "And that you used to get in trouble for drawing pictures instead of doing your studies," he finished merrily.

"Uncle!" protested Zuko in shock, positively mortified by the public disclosure of one of his childhood quirks.

Katara and Sokka unsuccessfully tried to stifle their giggles as they imagined a young Zuko doodling in the margins of his notes. And when the prince yanked the figurine away from Iroh and tucked it into his tunic, they laughed outright for the first time in days. Even Toph was grinning at the prince's obvious discomfiture.

"Of course," continued Iroh with amused consideration as the laughter died down, "if I had known you were so talented, I would have apprenticed you to a sculptor in Ba Sing Se instead of putting you to work serving tea."

"Well that's _one_ thing I can be glad for," Zuko grumbled, "The teashop was bad enough."

He irritably brushed the wood shavings from his lap and onto Sokka, who promptly swept them toward his sister. She, in turn, scooped them up and chucked them back at her brother with a glare.

"Keep your mess to yourself," she snorted.

"It's his mess too!" he replied defensively, tossing a handful toward Zuko and instead getting most of the lot blown back into his face.

Several curls landed on Toph, the unexpected foreign particles eliciting a small panicked shriek from the blind girl and she frantically batted them away. Once she figured out what had hit her, however, she reached across Katara and picked some up.

"Watch where you're throwing that stuff," she huffed, hurling wood curls in his direction.

"You know," he remarked good-naturedly, spitting out shavings, "for a blind girl, you've got really good aim."

And he scooped up another handful and lobbed them at the earth bender. But when his feeble attack hit Katara, she plucked up some more and flicked them back toward her brother.

"And _your_ aim is atrocious," she laughed.

"Why else would he use a boomerang," taunted Zuko lightly, casually letting a fistful of shavings drift on the wind into Sokka's face, "if it didn't come back he'd never find it."

"Oh yeah?! Well find _this_!" declared Sokka, picking up handful after handful and flinging them directly onto the other three in turn. "Ha!"

This only served to egg the entire situation on, and suddenly wood shavings were flying in all directions as the four of them playfully pelted each other with the mess. Momo soon joined in, haphazardly chasing the curls through the air.

Smiling, Iroh moved away to allow them their fun, his old heart full of happiness as the dreary pall that had engulfed them recently was finally dispelled. It was especially gratifying to see his nephew participating, despite the fact that, unlike the others, the boy was not laughing with anything beyond his eyes. But that was more than Iroh had seen in years…and it was enough.

The four teens continued their little battle until the wind eventually carried all the shavings away. Their source of diversion finally gone, Toph, Sokka, and Katara settled back down with lingering snickers and giggles, and even Zuko was indulging in a rare, relaxed smile as he pet the lemur purring in his lap. He hadn't done anything like that since…well, he couldn't honestly remember the last time he had engaged in such silliness and actually enjoyed it.

Meanwhile, from Appa's head, Aang had been discretely watching the entire scenario with a dour expression. He knew he should be feeling happy, relieved, _grateful_ that the oppressive gloom of the past two days had finally been broken. But instead, it made him irritable, and he didn't even understand why.

So when he turned his gaze back to the horizon ahead of them and saw the Fire Nation coastline looming in the distance, he was all too eager to crush the cheerful mood.

"We're here," he announced grimly.

And no one noticed the way Aang's jaw clenched, selfishly satisfied that the joy his friends had shared just moments before, had effectively been sucked away.

* * *


	2. Ch 2 Appearances

They made landfall a few hours after sunset, grateful that Yue's face was turned from the world, granting the deep cover of a moonless night to keep them hidden from prying eyes. Camp was set up silently in a small clearing within the dense tropical jungle, and a cold meal was eaten to avoid creating the revealing light of a campfire.

Just as they had the in the shallows, most of the companions slept huddled close to each other, not so much for warmth, but for comfort in the face of their fears. Only Aang and Zuko distanced themselves from the rest: the Avatar taking a spot on Appa's flank, while the prince propped himself against a nearby tree, staying up long into the night before finally drifting off into a troubled slumber.

* * *

Katara awoke to the sound of someone grumbling and, sitting up, she looked around for the source of the noise. It didn't take long to spot Zuko sitting on a fallen tree at the edge of the clearing, his back to the camp and muttering heatedly under his breath. But it was the cause of his frustration that had Katara so intrigued. 

He was viscously pulling a comb through his hair and obviously having difficulty with the task. It suddenly occurred to the water bender that, in all the time he'd been traveling with them, she'd never seen Zuko bother to comb his ever-lengthening locks, and from what she could tell, this was his first attempt.

She watched as he finally managed to gather it all up in a short knot on top, only to reach up and feel a host of stray lumps and tangles sticking out at odd places. With another growl of frustration, he yanked the tie out of his hair and started over.

At first, she wondered why he was doing this without the benefit of the small mirror they had in their shared bag, for it would certainly make it easier. But when she remembered all that had transpired with Tanha, a pang of sorrow tore through her. She knew the reason.

A small sigh escaped her lips, and she couldn't help but think that if it were anyone but Zuko she would-

She abruptly ended her thought right there, appalled at where it had been going. For there was the truth staring right at her, a truth she had been denying and avoiding for weeks. She didn't treat Zuko like the others. Even now, when they were actually getting along, she still remained cautious around him, maintaining a wall of civility and reserve between them. She was suddenly ashamed of herself.

If that were Sokka, Aang, or even Toph over there struggling, she wouldn't hesitate to offer her assistance. Taking a deep breath, she steadied her resolve to do no less for Zuko, starting right now. Silently getting to her feet, she crossed the camp and stood a few steps behind him.

"You look like you could use a hand," she said quietly.

He had been so engrossed in his task that he hadn't even heard her approach. So when she spoke, he was startled into spinning around. His expression of alarm quickly darkened into a scowl as he turned away once more.

"I've got it, thanks," he said stiffly, ripping the comb through his thick mane and pulling out a chunk of tangled hair.

Katara bit her lip, not at all surprised by his response. She took another steadying breath and stepped closer. _No different from Sokka, no different from Aang, no different from Toph_, she reminded herself firmly.

"Only if you want to tear all the hair off your head," she remarked coolly.

He tossed a glare over his shoulder at her, but said nothing. It wasn't his fault he had no idea what he was doing. As a prince growing up in the palace, this sort of thing had been done for him. Even after his banishment, the ship's barber had the task of keeping all but the long ponytail shaven clean, leaving almost nothing for him to deal with himself. And when he'd cut that off upon becoming a fugitive, it was too short during the time it was growing in for him to give it much thought.

But now it was finally long enough to hang in his eyes and annoy him. And unfortunately, while he knew what he wanted done with it, he didn't have the expertise to manage actually getting it that way himself. He was making a mess of the job and he knew it.

So when Katara held out her hand for the comb, he merely heaved an irritable sigh and slapped it into her waiting palm. She snatched it up quickly and got straight to work, amazed that he had relented much more quickly than she'd expected. Once again, she felt the burn of guilt for having waited so long to approach him so familiarly.

"You don't have to do this," reprimanded Zuko bitterly. "You're not my servant."

"No," she answered slowly, "but I _am_ your friend." Then more brightly, she added, "and besides, as a fellow 'neat-freak', I can't help but want to do something about this unruly mob you call hair."

This remarked earned her a sharp glower and Zuko craned his neck around to deliver it fully. But she only smiled good-naturedly in return, gently tilting his head back down so she could resume her combing. Trying to ignore the awkwardness of the situation, she continued on with casual conversation.

"You know, I think Aang still has a razor," she offered, "if you wanted to wear it like you had it before."

"NO!" he replied with a hastiness that startled her. "I mean, no," he recovered more calmly. "I…never really cared for it that way."

"Really?" she asked, genuinely curious, "then why did you shave it to begin with?"

There was an uncomfortable pause as Zuko opened and closed his mouth a few times, the question brining up the painful subject he had always so carefully avoided.

"I…I didn't," he finally answered haltingly. "Most of it was…was burned off. Uncle shaved the rest to…to even it up. After that it was easier to just leave it that way."

Katara's eyes clenched shut and she tightened her jaw, furiously berating herself for having drug up the horrible memory of what his father had done to him. Her hands were shaking as she picked up the ribbon and began winding it around the tidy knot on top of his head. But knowing an apology would only be taken as pity that he did not want, she merely tied off the band and forced herself to speak cheerfully.

"Well, I think it looks better like this anyway," she declared, returning the comb to him.

Taking the comb with one hand, he reached up with the other and gingerly felt the smoothed hair against his scalp, ending in a perfect topknot. He wasn't sure what surprised him more; the fact that she'd so openly given her help…or that he had _accepted_ it. Not since the catacombs had such an exchange taken place between them, and for the first time since that fateful day, he began to feel truly forgiven for what he'd done there.

"Thank you," he murmured, looking at her with uncertainty.

"Don't mention it," she replied off-handedly.

But in the smile she gave him, he found his absolution, and the corner of his mouth impulsively turned up as well. In that moment, all the animosity, built up over months of conflict since the day they first met, finally lay behind them…forgotten.

Oblivious to the profound event unfolding before him, Sokka sat up and rubbed his rumbling belly.

"Great, so if you two are done playing with each other's hair," he quipped, yawning and stretching dramatically, "could we get some breakfast started?"

The benders snapped a pair of tetchy glares at the warrior, irked at his flippant wisecrack, but the reaction was completely lost on the hungry boy.

"He really does have a one-track mind," Zuko muttered.

"That's Sokka for you," agreed Katara.

And they shared one last, companionable grin before setting about their tasks to get food prepared.

* * *

Captain Zhen dropped to his knees before the close-curtained palanquin, which served as Princess Azula's makeshift throne, and touched his brow to the cold metal floor. Even though he could see nothing but her silhouette through the veil, he knew that she was glaring at him with displeasure. 

"Tell me what you want and make it brief," she demanded icily.

"A message arrived from the blockade, Your Highness," he informed her with a shaky voice. "Your assumption about the Avatar trying to slip past the southern line was correct."

"Were the extra ships in place?" she asked dangerously.

"They were," he answered nervously.

"And…?" prompted the princess, her patience clearly growing thin.

She knew this wasn't good news. If it had been, he'd have announced the Navy's success right away. For that matter, he'd have insisted on an audience the day before, rather than let it wait.

"They escaped into The Shallows."

The captain cringed as he delivered this last piece of news. Although it wasn't his fault the Avatar had gotten away, he was just as likely to receive punishment for another man's failings as he was for his own. So when the flaming braziers on either side of the palanquin roared angrily to life, he cowered in fear, more or less prepared to meet his doom.

Slowly, painstakingly slowly, the flames settled back down, and Azula's voice was calm when she spoke again.

"Inform me when we arrive at the capital."

"Yes, Highness," he intoned with a tremor.

Still bowing, Zhen kept his head hovering anxiously above the floor, knowing better than to move before he was dismissed.

"That is all," she finally stated.

With a hasty touch of his forehead to the floor, he stood up and all but ran from the room.

Behind the gauze drapery, Azula lifted her hand and traced the long red welt that ran the length of her right cheek. Truth be told, she was pleased that no one else had managed to take down her brother, and her eyes burned with hatred as she snarled to the empty room.

"You're going to pay for this, Zuko."

* * *

"This is the fastest way to the capital," Zuko insisted, tracing a line across the map. 

"But it's too heavily populated," Sokka argued, "you said so yourself."

Zuko let out a heavy sigh. The two teens had been debating their next step since breakfast, and still hadn't come up with an acceptable route. Katara, Iroh, and Toph had been listening as well, but unfortunately, they were equally unable to come up with a solution. No matter what path they plotted, it was either too dangerous, or would take too long.

"Maybe we could fly at night," suggested Katara helpfully, coming to sit beside them.

"And sleep during the day while the patrols are active?" countered Zuko tersely. Shaking his head, he continued, "Those ships that chased us to the shallows will have reported in by now. They know we're here and they will be looking for us."

"Then we'll just have to try skirting the western coast," Sokka said wearily, "and travel as fast as we can."

"We can't take that risk," contended the prince, beginning to lose his patience. "We only have one shot at this."

"Well then how are supposed to fly Appa to the capital without being discovered _and_ without missing the eclipse?" Sokka finally shouted in frustration.

"We won't be taking Appa," stated Aang with calm finality, the first words he'd spoken since the discussion began.

All three of them turned disbelieving stares onto the Avatar, and then glanced at each other worriedly before looking back to Aang, waiting for an explanation. When none came, Toph finally piped up.

"Care to expand on that a little?" she inquired brusquely.

"Zuko's right," Aang said tightly, "the military will be looking for Appa now that they know we're here. So we'll go to the capital on foot."

The two water tribe siblings exchanged a concerned glance. It was very unlike Aang to simply give up his spirit companion without so much as a struggle. And they couldn't help but wonder if the reason he'd been so distant lately was because he'd been considering this eventuality.

"Not that that's a bad idea or anything, Aang," Sokka ventured uneasily, "but…what about _Appa_?"

"I don't know, okay!?" he exploded in angry whirl of air. "He wasn't supposed to come this far! I was going to send him back to Omashu with the ship!"

Katara bit her lip and turned her head dejectedly, catching Zuko's frown as she did so. They were both painfully aware that Aang had left out the part about him planning to send Toph, Katara, and Sokka back as well.

Everyone remained silent at the outburst, unsure of what to say or do. Aang was clearly upset about the whole affair, and this left them all feeling quite useless. Ever the 'plan guy', Sokka regarded the exiled fire benders for a moment.

"I don't suppose you two have any good friends who would be willing to take care of a two ton bison for a while, do you?" he asked rhetorically.

Zuko responded with a doleful glare and crossed arms. "You're _joking_, right?"

Iroh on the other hand, stroked his beard thoughtfully, surprising them all when he finally spoke.

"Perhaps we might."

This got the group's attention, and they turned to him with questioning eyes. Even Aang seemed intrigued by this new development, for his glower lessened ever so slightly.

"Uh, preferably someone who wouldn't be inclined to cash you in," the warrior added, holding up one finger warningly, fearing that perhaps the old man had forgotten the important detail of the prices on both members of the royal family.

The Dragon of the West merely smiled enigmatically, and then got to his feet, obviously preparing to leave.

"All of you stay here," he instructed, "I'll be back as soon as I can."

They were so stunned that no one thought to protest until he was almost out of the camp.

"But, where are you _going_?" asked Sokka.

The old fire bender didn't turn around, didn't even halt, as he called back over his shoulder.

"Into town…to find a good game of _Pai Sho_."

* * *


	3. Ch 3 Threshold

Mai and Ty Lee's meaningless chitchat stopped when they heard footsteps ringing at a furious clip down the metal hall, and they weren't the least bit startled when the door to the royal cabin's antechamber flew open and Azula walked in, slamming the door behind her.

"So what's the news?" asked Mai disinterestedly.

The princess didn't answer, nor did she even acknowledge that she'd heard the question. Instead, she strode past both girls and headed straight to the bedroom door across from where she came in. A moment later, Mai and Ty Lee were left alone with the resounding metallic echo of the door clanging shut.

"They got away," Mai droned knowingly, and then held out her palm expectantly toward the other girl. "Pay up."

The acrobat rolled her eyes and cheerfully held a coin over her friend's waiting hand.

"But she didn't actually _say_ they got away," she pointed out.

Mai glared at her dolefully, "Can you think of something _else_ that would infuriate her this much?"

Ty Lee scrunched up her nose and glanced skyward as she considered this for a moment.

"Hrm…good point."

With that, she plunked the coin into Mai's hand, and it disappeared within the sleeve of her robe. Meanwhile, Ty Lee flounced down into a pile of cushions with a bored sigh.

"Not that I wanted to win that bet," she confessed. "After all, this means Zuko is still alive," she pronounced optimistically, earning her a sharp glance from the somber girl.

"Of course he's still alive," Mai snapped. Then, regaining her usual air of detachment, she continued distractedly, "Zuko's too good to let himself get captured. They'll never manage to take him alive."

"Yeah," Ty Lee agreed soberly, her shoulders sagging slightly, "too bad they don't have too, huh?"

At this, Mai turned to regard her friend apprehensively. "What do you mean?"

"I _mean_," she answered with innocent exasperation, "who's going to bother _capturing _him when all they need is his _head_ to collect the reward?" She then sat up and threw the other a girl a curious expression. "Gee, Mai, you're always complaining about how I forget stuff, and here you can't even remem- "

Ty Lee stopped immediately when she noticed the look of horror on Mai's face, and the acrobat gasped even as her hand clapped itself over her mouth. It dropped only slightly when she spoke again.

"You don't even know do you?" she whispered.

But Mai only continued to stare at her in disbelief, and Ty Lee quickly got up and went over to a nearby desk to pull a printed parchment from one of the drawers. With shaking hands, she offered it to Mai.

"Azula showed it to me after we left Omashu," Ty Lee explained quietly, her voice sounding tiny and fragile. She looked at the floor, unable to watch her childhood friend read the paper. "I thought you already knew."

Eyes still fixed on the page she was clutching, Mai half collapsed onto a nearby settee, her knees suddenly unable to bear the weight of her body.

"No, I didn't," she said faintly.

Looking toward the door through which the princess had retired, a range of emotions flickered one after the other across Mai's usually impassive face: surprise, hurt, then finally as she spoke again, cold vehemence.

"Azula neglected to mention it to me."

* * *

The jungle thickened rapidly as Katara left the camp, heading in the direction Toph had said Zuko went. He'd gone off by himself shortly after Iroh departed and now, several hours later, the water bender was becoming concerned. 

Not that she thought he'd get lost or injured; Zuko was more than capable of taking care of himself. But she knew he worried more about his uncle than he'd ever let on, and she didn't want him to spend too much time brooding alone. He had friends now, and she wanted to be sure that he understood that.

So she trudged on through the untamed, tropical underbrush until she found herself at the foot of a tall, sloped incline.

"Zuko?" she called uncertainly, looking around.

His voice wafted down from the top of the ridge. "Up here."

Relieved she had found him, she made her way up the hill, using the ropy vines dangling from the trees to steady her ascent.

"I was wondering where you ran off to," she remarked casually through the bushes as she reached the top. "You know, we probably shouldn't wander too far from ca-"

She didn't have a chance to finish her sentence, for her breath was completely taken away by the view before her. Cascading down the mountain like a river through the tropical forest was a swath of flowers, their black and white petals dancing gaily in the breeze. The late afternoon sunlight dappled through the broad treetops, falling across the narrow meadow in a shower of gold.

"Wow," she breathed, completely in awe of the magnificent sight.

Her eyes continued to scan the length and breadth of the secluded area until they fell on Zuko almost directly to her left, just inside the edge of the field so that he was surrounded on all sides by the exotic flowers, sitting with his elbows resting on his propped up knees, and idly twirling a single black and white tipped stem in his fingers. He was staring over his shoulder at her with a bemused expression on his face and, looking back over the field as she drew near, he pointed absently at the flower-filled glade.

"Pretty isn't it?" he asked needlessly.

"It's amazing," she agreed, still standing there taking in the wild beauty. Finally pulling her eyes from the scene, she looked down at Zuko with curiosity, "What kind of flowers are these?"

Zuko glanced down at the plant in his hands, then held it aloft for her to examine. Watching her as she took it and inhaled its fragrance, he answered the question.

"It's called a panda lily."

She gently stroked a black and white striped petal. "I've never seen anything like it."

"I'm not sure they even grow outside of the Fire Nation," he said matter-of-factly, returning his gaze to the meadow. "They only thrive in very warm soil. There must be a magma flow under the ground here."

By now, Katara had settled down in the flowers beside him, enjoying the view from eye level, and listening as he continued absently.

"They're very difficult to grow. In the capital, they have to cultivate them in large glass buildings where they artificially heat the soil, and then they harvest them to create one of the most expensive perfumes money can buy. It takes hundreds of them just to make a small bottle."

"If it smells anything like the real thing, I imagine it's worth it," she remarked, breathing in another dose of the sweet scent.

The prince nodded, still gazing out over the field. "It was my mother's favorite fragrance."

Katara glanced at him sharply. It was the first time he'd mentioned his mother since the catacombs, and she feared that she'd once again inadvertently brought up a painful memory. But while his eyes were distant, they lacked any anguish or reproach.

At last, he snapped back to the present and, catching her staring at him with concern, he offered a faint smile, which she gratefully returned. As a comfortable silence fell between them, it occurred to Katara that this was the first time since he'd begun traveling with them that she that didn't feel awkward or strained around the banished prince.

No longer was she bothered by that gnawing twist of confusion and anxiety, and she could let herself enjoy his company. It was a welcome change.

But all good things must come to an end, and this companionable moment was no different as Sokka's voice drifted up to them from the shallow ravine behind them.

"Katara? Zuko?"

Setting down the panda lily, Katara crawled a few steps over to the edge of the ridge, and looked down at her brother.

"We're up here."

He glanced around briefly for the source of the voice before finally spotting her peering at him from above.

"Well come down _here_," he shouted up to her, "Toph says Iroh is on his way back."

That was all the prompting either of the benders needed, and they hurried to their feet, relying on each other to maintain their balance as they carefully traversed the overgrown decline.

"So have you two seen Aang?" asked the warrior once the other two had safely reached the bottom.

They both shook their heads and Katara answered as they left the panda lily field behind.

"Last I saw him, he was at camp."

* * *

Aang waited until Zuko and Katara had left with Sokka before stepping out from behind the broad-leafed plant where he'd been hiding, watching their entire conversation. Kneeling down, he picked up the flower Katara had neglected to take with her, and stood back up, slowly twisting the bloom between his fingers. 

That should have been _his_ panda lily; _he_ was the one meant to give it to her all those months ago. But Zuko had beaten him to it. While Aang had been forced to climb to the top of a volcano just to find the stupid thing, the prince had merely plucked one from his native soil and unceremoniously handed it to her with neither pretense nor sentiment.

The fact that the exchange had held no significance for either of them did nothing to lessen the sense of injustice Aang felt. If anything, it only deepened his bitterness. Would Katara have regarded the gift so indifferently if it had been Aang and not Zuko who gave it to her? Somehow, he knew that she would have.

His hands fell to his sides as a wave of rage washed over the young Avatar. Why should he be denied something as simple as love? Hadn't he given up enough already?

"Tanha was right," he whispered resentfully, "it _isn't fair_."

Closing his eyes with an angry scowl, he didn't even notice when the flower began to wilt in his grasp, smoke curling from his fist until the panda lily erupted in a fiery flare. Only then did he look down to see the flower's charred remains fall from his fingertips in a whisper of black ash.

* * *

"Here they come," Toph announced to the two men seated in the camp with her as she sensed three of her friends returning from the jungle. 

A moment later, Aang arrived on his glider from a different direction. All four of them were a bit startled to realize that Iroh had brought someone with him. He was an old man, wrinkled, thin, and bald, with a wispy white goatee, and unsurprisingly dressed in Fire Nation attire. Had it not been for Toph's docile behavior in the presence of the stranger, they would have been inclined to go immediately on the defensive. As it was, they merely gaped at the newcomer.

"Who's that?" demanded Sokka suspiciously.

"This is Jenzu," Iroh explained calmly, getting to his feet along with Toph and the older man. "He and the other members of The Order will be helping us."

"The Order?" questioned Katara in bewilderment.

"Uncle's Pai Sho buddies," explained cynically, crossing his arms. "They got us into Ba Sing Se when we were on the run. Apparently they're everywhere."

"You mean we're getting help from a bunch of old guys in a gaming club?" asked Sokka skeptically.

"The Order of the White Lotus is an ancient and secret society," explained Iroh, "with members all over the world."

"Okay," the warrior responded slowly, trying to make some sense of the conversation. "And what guarantee do we have that they aren't going to turn us in? No offense, but he's Fire Nation."

"Members of the Order do not make such distinctions," the old man named Jenzu interjected kindly. "We are loyal only to the White Lotus and," he glanced surreptitiously around the group, "our founder."

"And who exactly is your founder?" inquired Aang, intrigued by the turn of events in spite of himself.

Jenzu turned to face the air bender fully, and gave a formal bow before answering with an enigmatic smile.

"_You_ are."

* * *

_Commercial Break_

**Author's note:** It's finally happened! After nine months of writing nearly 10 stories, there are now over 100 registered FanFiction members who have me listed as a Favorite Author! AND, as near as I can tell, readership of this series is in excess of 200 people! 0.o

Now, if only I could hear from more than 20-30 of them on a regular basis. -sigh-. It would be so nice to know not just that people _like_ my work, but _what_ everyone likes about it. Ah well, can't have everything, can I?

At any rate, I do want to thank those of you who _do_ provide regular input, especially when you mention the details you liked from each chapter. You have no idea how monumentally valuable your comments are, and if they ever died off this series wouldn't last very long afterward.

So thanks again you guys and, before anyone deems it necessary to request it:

**I promise I will "update soon!"**

_(Seriously, folks, I try to post new updates no later than 3 or 4 days after the last. __It's about the best I can do.)_


	4. Ch 4 Entrance

**Author's Note:** I've added a new image to both my story art page and to my fan-art page (drawings inspired by other authors) for your viewing pleasure.

You can see them at www. sasartstudios. com/ samples. html and at www. sasartstudios. com/ fanart. html (remove all spaces in the URLs). These pages can also be accessed from my bio. Enjoy!

And now, back to the 'show'!

* * *

The assembled group could only stare in shock, glancing amazedly from the young Avatar to Jenzu as this interesting piece of information sank in. Even Iroh seemed slightly surprised by the revelation. 

"_I_ founded a secret society?" marveled the air bender, so completely overwhelmed by this news that all thoughts of lost opportunities and the unfairness of life completely flew from his mind. "But…how…_when_?"

"That is a story to be told at another time, Avatar," replied Jenzu patiently. "For now, I must make preparations to get you all safely into the city. I will return in the morning."

The old man bowed deeply to Aang once more then to Iroh as well, but not before casting a curious look at Zuko, who returned it with apprehension. Without another word, the old man turned and disappeared into the jungle. Once he was gone, Zuko spun on his uncle.

"You told them about Aang!?" he hissed accusingly.

"No," insisted the old man distractedly, "I didn't even tell them about the bison."

As if on cue, Appa ambled out from the thick tropical foliage where he'd been sent to hide when Toph noticed Iroh was bringing company, and for a moment, no one said anything, taken aback by the realization that the strange old man had somehow known who Aang was without being told. With his new growth of hair, Fire Nation attire, and red sash tied across the arrow on his forehead, the Avatar looked like an ordinary kid, and Jenzu had been turned in the opposite direction from Aang when he'd arrived.

"O-kay," drawled Sokka, "definitely not the creepiest thing we've experienced, but it certainly ranks up there with the weird stuff."

"Do you really think they'll be able to do something for Appa?" wondered Toph aloud; thinking perhaps a change of topic was in order.

"I don't know," Aang confessed tentatively, "but if this Society is something I started in a past life, then I think it's safe to let them try."

"First they'll have to get us into town without being noticed," Katara contemplated pragmatically.

"Everything will be fine," Iroh offered reassuringly. "The Order is very good at this sort of thing."

"If you don't mind being crammed into a flowerpot," muttered Zuko, remembering the uncomfortable ride out of the small desert outpost.

The others looked at the prince inquisitively, but Iroh interrupted before Zuko had a chance to elaborate.

"Jenzu has something much better planned," the retired general informed them grandly with a wide grin. "It's practically _perfect_."

* * *

Zuko scowled, crossing his arms in a most unladylike fashion. Normally this gesture would not have been too unseemly, but since he was dressed _as_ a lady, it rather ruined the effect that the elaborately coifed wig, finely embroidered robes, and expertly applied make-up should have imparted. Were it not for his gloomy expression, he'd be an almost perfect picture of an apprentice dancer for the local theater; even his scar was practically invisible under the thick white face paint, and the delicate black eyeliner evened out the shape of his eyes. 

"This is _humiliating_," he growled.

Beside him, Aang was simultaneously trying to blow away a billowing sleeve dangling by his face while he scratched at various places under his wig and clothes, and doing his best not to smudge his make-up.

"This stuff _itches_!" he complained.

"Okay, guys. Be honest," called Sokka as he stepped out from behind the bushes where he'd changed into his dancer disguise. He held his arms out to his sides with a doleful expression showing through his make-up. "This dress makes me look fat, doesn't it?"

"As a moo-sow," the prince stated dryly.

Sokka glared back at the other boy with an almost hurt expression. "Ya know, that was just uncalled for."

"Aw, don't take it to heart, Sokka," Toph chimed in sincerely, looking completely at home in her sophisticated dancer's attire, "Prince Charming's just jealous because your dress is fancier than his. Seriously, you look _lovely_."

"Really? Cause I was thinking that mayb-"

He stopped midway through smoothing his dress and patting the wig. His arms slumped to his sides as he suddenly realized he'd fallen for one of Toph's 'blind pranks'…again.

"I _hate_ it when you do that."

Toph merely flicked open a decorative fan and fluttered it demurely in front of her face, not bothering to hide the smug grin she wore. Still pouting, Sokka caught the incredulous look that his sister, also dressed as a dancer, was giving him.

"What?" he asked naively.

"I'm not sure which is more disturbing," Katara explained with a tone of annoyed disbelief, "that you fell for Toph's joke or that you're actually concerned about how pretty you look."

"Aha!" the boy crowed triumphantly, "so I _do_ look pretty!"

"Gorgeous, Sokka," she replied sarcastically as she rolled her eyes.

"Well then," exclaimed Iroh as he entered the clearing with Jenzu close behind, "the wagon is packed and waiting. Are you lovely ladies ready to go?"

The old general looked a good fifteen years younger with his beard and hair coated in black stage-dye. Unlike the others, he did not have to don a dress and, seeing this, Zuko's frown deepened.

"Why doesn't _he_ have to disguise himself as a woman?" he complained sullenly.

Jenzu shrugged, "There were no dresses in the theater that would fit."

"Figures."

"It's only to get us past the gate, Zuko," Iroh reminded his nephew soothingly as the 'girls' made their way to the road where a cart was waiting. "Besides," he whispered in the boy's ear, "you look beautiful."

"Shut up, Uncle."

* * *

As the wagon carrying the disguised Avatar and his companions made its way to the nearby port city, much further north a royal procession was likewise arriving at the gates of the Fire Lord's palace. The palanquin had no sooner been set at the top of the stairs than Azula stepped out and headed boldly into the atrium with Mai and Ty Lee following in her wake. 

As they reached the entrance to the throne room, a pair of masked guards held open the emblazoned curtain for the princess to pass, the quickly let it drop, preventing her two friends from entering. They were visibly relieved to be denied entrance; neither of them wanted to be present for what was about to transpire between father and daughter.

Azula kept her head held high as she strode toward the Fire Lord, only dropping her eyes when she kowtowed before the throne. Sitting up straight, she addressed him calmly, keeping her expression neutral.

"I've returned as you requested, Fire Lord."

"And you have done so empty-handed," he responded tonelessly, his cold reply reverberated across the vast chamber.

The princess had the decency to look properly ashamed at her failure, but inside she was boiling with rage. Even though her eyes were downcast, and her father's face was obscured by the wall of flames that separated them, she knew he was staring at the scar that traced the line of her cheek. Her hands balled into fists on her knees as she fought the impulse to cover it.

"I will leave immediately to complete what I started," she offered.

"No," he answered, startling her into looking up. "This task is perhaps more than I should have expected of you," Ozai mused without reproach or disappointment. After a thoughtful pause, he continued with a leniency reserved only for her. "You will stay here, Daughter, and…recuperate."

Clenching her teeth, Azula leaned forward and touched her head obediently to the floor.

"Yes, Father."

* * *

When the curtain finally opened and Azula flew out, Mai and Ty Lee had to hurry to catch up with her. 

"So now what?" asked Mai with practiced indifference.

Azula kept on walking as she answered. "We're going after my worthless excuse for a brother."

Behind her, the two girls exchanged an apprehensive glance. Neither of them looked forward to the prospect of going back out to hunt down the former prince. But this was Azula, their childhood friend, Princess of the Fire Nation and heir to the throne.

What else could they do except tag along?

* * *

Kazimizu was by no means a grand city, certainly nothing compared to the capital, but it was nonetheless a fairly large port town bustling with activity. Aang and the others had already been warned not to look around too much lest they blow their cover, but it was hard to keep their eyes from discreetly trying to peek past the gate as they sat in the back of the cart and awaited admittance. 

Jenzu was a short distance away, speaking to the guard on duty, but no one could overhear their conversation. Iroh was still sitting at the front, reigns in hand and appearing completely disinterested.

A tiny black and white face poked out momentarily from between the folds of Aang and Zuko's long skirts, green eyes blinking, and then darted quickly back under the bench when Jenzu returned and climbed onto the driver's seat beside Iroh. As the cart lurched forward, Zuko spared a glance at the young air bender sitting next to him, who was fanning himself for all he was worth.

"Stop waving that thing around," the prince admonished through gritted teeth, keeping his own fan steady in front of his face.

"But I'm roasting in this get-up!" the boy complained tersely.

"And so am I," snapped Zuko, "but unless you want to find yourself with a new boyfriend, you'll keep it still!"

The fan slowed down a bit as Aang peeked sidelong at his companion. "What you mean?"

Zuko let out an irritated sigh as he leaned over and whispered an explanation behind his fan.

"When you fan yourself like that, you're telling every available man in the area that you're looking for," he paused uncomfortably for a moment before finishing "…a _date_."

Aang's fan came to an immediate halt as his eyes popped open in alarm. Satisfied with this result, Zuko resumed his posture and fixed his eyes on the two (real) girls sitting across from him. Meanwhile Aang looked around to make sure no men were leering at him, and noticed Sokka near the front of the cart, rapidly fanning himself as Aang had been doing just a moment before. The Avatar whispered back to Zuko, holding his fan in front of him to hide the conversation.

"We should probably tell that to Sokka too," he remarked worriedly.

Zuko glanced over at the warrior obliviously fluttering his fan, and hid a smile behind his own as he answered.

"We'll let him figure it out."

Startled by the response, Aang shot the prince an incredulous look, but when he noticed the sly smirk on Zuko's face, the air bender couldn't help but indulge in a mischievous grin himself. And when a moment later, Sokka loudly whispered to his sister that he thought we was getting strange looks, the other two boys merely snickered impishly behind their fans.

* * *

The trip across town was blessedly uneventful, and the five 'girls' stepped elegantly down from the cart and filed into the theater, fans held primly in front of their faces as they'd been instructed. Once inside, they waited patiently while Iroh and Jenzu fetched their bags from the cart. 

Looking discretely around the room, they noticed that the front area was set up similar to a teahouse, with a pair of large doors leading off into what they assumed was the theater itself. A number of patrons were scattered about the room and several dressed and painted girls were moving about as they served tea and carried on polite conversation with the guests.

Everything seemed quite normal, but Aang and Zuko both felt inexplicably anxious. Inconspicuously as possible, they gazed around and finally the prince noticed an older man sitting in a corner, sipping his tea and appearing completely uninterested in anything happening in the room. Just as the man started to turn his head in their direction, Zuko looked away.

"You feel it too, don't you," Aang whispered.

Zuko's eyes darted over to the man before settling back on the Avatar with mild surprise.

"Yeah, I do," he admitted quietly.

"It's like a…a pull," the boy mused, looking first at the man and then back at Zuko as if to confirm the odd sensation. "I feel like I know him…but I'm sure I don't."

The prince merely nodded, noticing that none of the others seemed to be affected or even aware of what Aang and Zuko were experiencing; they were too busy looking around at more interesting things. A moment later, Iroh and Jenzu returned with the luggage and they began leading their charges up a side stairwell. As they climbed the steps, Aang leaned forward to whisper to Zuko again.

"What do you think it means?"

The prince only shook his head slightly, sparing one last glance at the oddly familiar, yet unfamiliar man as they left the room. His voice was pensive, uncertain, and tinged with worry when he finally responded.

"I don't know."

* * *


	5. Ch 5 Initiation

Several sets of Fire Nation civilian clothes were waiting for the group when they got to their room, and they wasted no time getting changed out of the stuffy dresses. Iroh had gone with Jenzu, leaving the others to wait for his return. At the moment, they were just sitting around the room, trying not to give in to their restlessness.

"How long do you think your uncle will be?" asked Katara.

Zuko glanced up from where he was tracing invisible lines on the floor.

"If there's tea and Pai Sho involved," he mused irritably, "it might as well be days."

He was about to say something else, but everyone froze when there came a knock at the door, and they looked around at each other awkwardly, unsure of whether or not they should answer.

"It's Jenzu," called a voice softly from the hall.

They let out a collective sigh of relief, and Aang got up to open the door. The old man stepped through and quickly closed it behind him.

"Avatar Aang," he said with a slight bow, "if you could please come with me." He paused for a moment and cast a curious glance at Zuko. "You too, Your Highness."

The prince blinked in surprise, but didn't question the request. Instead, he merely grabbed a traveling cloak, threw it over his shoulders, and followed Aang and Jenzu out the door, pulling the hood up as they headed down to the lobby.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, both boys looked around the tearoom, trying to spot the mysterious man they had seen before. But he was nowhere in sight, and the strange sensation from earlier was absent as well. Before they went out into the street, Jenzu leaned down and whispered to Aang.

"Should any trouble arise, now or in the future, remember to reveal nothing," he cautioned. "A young fire bender is no strange sight. In this way, you can keep your identity hidden."

"Why would there be any trouble?" asked the Avatar suspiciously.

Jenzu only smiled as they walked outside, and Zuko finally answered for him.

"People around here are known for their short tempers," the prince said dryly.

No sooner had he said this, than a disturbance across the street caught their attention.

"I'm telling you, it's a fair price!" shouted a greasy old merchant to a customer.

"And I think you're trying to swindle me!" growled the other man, a flurry of flames playing meaningfully across his fingertips.

"Keep your heat to yourself," the merchant retorted haughtily, snuffing the flames with a wave of his hand. "I'm not looking to get into an Agni Kai over it. If you don't like my prices, you can take your business elsewhere…"

The argument faded off in the distance as they moved away, and Aang whispered nervously back to Zuko.

"I see what you mean."

* * *

Jenzu led them down several streets until they came to a metal smith. As they walked through the shop, they saw stacks and piles of spears, swords, and knives, none of which looked to be anything more than functionally deadly. 

"There was a time when the blades sold here were of the finest quality in all the Nations," lamented Jenzu as he led them through the building to a back room. "But the smithies were forced to put aside their skills to manufacture more common weapons for the war." He nodded toward an ancient looking man near a small forge, carefully pounding on a rod of glowing steel. "Li Kang is one of the few in our city who remembers the old craft, and his swords are still the best that can be found anywhere."

Zuko slowed down and cast a longing look over the small assortment of swords displayed on the wall, their sharp edges gleaming in the red light from the forge. Seeing he was getting left behind, he quickened his step until he caught up with Aang and Jenzu before a closed door.

A panel slid open and a voice queried from the other side, "Who knocks at the Garden Gate?"

"A humble Gardner," replied Jenzu, "with young saplings, ready to be planted."

The boys exchanged an uncertain glance, as if each expected the other to know what was going on. But when they realized that they were both clueless, they shrugged at each other helplessly.

Without further question, the door was opened, and Jenzu ushered them inside.

* * *

Iroh looked up as his nephew and the Avatar came into view from behind a stack of crates in the large cellar that served as the Order's private meeting room and, seeing their apprehension, gave them a reassuring smile. He waved a hand toward two empty reed mats across from him, and they sat down. Both boys appeared surprised when they noticed that the old man sitting next to Iroh was the same one they'd seen at the theater, and once again, they felt that odd, familiar pull. 

"This is Katzu," Iroh said, indicating the man beside him. "He is a Grand Master in the Order."

"We have waited a long time for your return, Avatar," Katzu intoned with a respectful nod, "and we offer our services to you now, as we have before."

"Um, thanks," Aang replied hesitantly, "but, I'm not really sure what all of this is about."

"Of course," Katzu said with a gentle smile, "the years between lives are long, and some things are easily forgotten. Many centuries ago, strife broke out among the four nations, and Avatar Yang Chen sought allies within each; people who understood the need for harmony and balance, and who could aid her in keeping the world from being torn apart by war.

"She founded the Order of the White Lotus, and members used the game of Pai Sho to pass information to her about the plans of each nation. With the aid of the Order, she prevented the war, and helped the nations settle their differences without conflict. The White Lotus has existed ever since, to protect and assist those who strive for peace in the face of adversity.

"Avatar Roku attempted to do the same thing, but Sozin kept his secrets close, and Roku passed on without ever learning the depth of the Fire Lord's treachery."

"So how did _you_ get involved in all of this, Uncle?" asked Zuko with a slightly accusing tone.

Iroh noticed the look of hurt in his nephew's eyes and sighed. Despite the fact that capturing Aang would have been pointless, he understood that Zuko was upset by the knowledge that his own uncle had been privy to this information, and never once shared it during the time that the banished prince was desperately seeking the Avatar.

"It was by accident, really," Iroh explained sadly. "I was devastated by your cousin's death, and in my grief, I sought to find him in the Spirit World. I came across a man who could send me there, and he did. But I did not listen when he warned me that I would find much more than I expected.

"I went looking for my son, and instead, I found my destiny," he paused and gave a meaningful look at Zuko, "and learned of yours."

There was a moment of silence as Zuko absorbed this, and Aang looked from nephew to uncle in dawning comprehension.

"It was Guru Pathik, wasn't it?" marveled Aang.

"Yes," Iroh confirmed. "After I returned from the Spirit World and asked for an explanation for what I saw there, Pathik invited me into the Society."

Seeing the puzzled look on the prince's face, Katzu offered an explanation.

"Members of the Order are initiated based on their acceptance of Spiritual Truths, and only those who know enlightenment are permitted within its ranks. The Avatar, of course, is the bridge between worlds, and is always a member by default."

"That explains why you wanted Aang to come," Zuko reasoned tentatively, "but…why am _I_ here?"

Katzu smiled broadly as he answered, "Because you felt the pull."

Aang and Zuko both looked at each other in surprise as the old man continued.

"The highest ranking members of the Order are those who have been to the Spirit World, and they are known to one another by the same sensation you both felt at the theater. It is a connection which binds us to each other."

"But," interjected Aang thoughtfully, "Sokka has been to the Spirit World, and he didn't notice anything earlier. How come he wasn't affected but Zuko was?"

"Because he did not experience enlightenment while he was there," replied Katzu.

"I wouldn't call my journey there enlightening," scoffed Zuko.

"You learned more than you realize, Prince Zuko," the old man insisted calmly. "You were touched by the Kirin, and given a glimpse of the Threads of Fate…just as Iroh was years ago. And by that right, you are being granted entry into the Order."

Zuko blinked in astonishment, not really sure what to make of all this. But his expression quickly turned to a frown when his uncle chimed in happily.

"Welcome to the club, Nephew!"

Throughout the exchange, Aang had been staring at his friend with a look of wonder. Suddenly, so many things now made sense; that indefinable connection he had to Zuko after they returned from the Spirit World, and the strange certainty that the prince was in trouble during their stay near Bìmíng.

A knock at the door on the other side of the cellar interrupted the discussion and a moment later, another man walked in, dressed in the uniform of a city guard. Aang and Zuko glanced at each other apprehensively, but relaxed a bit when none of the others seemed to be disturbed by the guard's appearance.

"What news do you bring?" asked Katzu.

"The Avatar's bison is in custody," the man answered, "and we'll be leaving in the morning to take him to the capital."

"_WHAT?!_"

Aang practically exploded in a whirl of hot air as he jumped to his feet. Zuko was likewise staring at the newcomer with a look of shocked horror.

"It's a ruse," the guard explained quickly, but calmly. "He's too big to transport inconspicuously, so we'll be taking him there under the pretense that he was captured. I've already arranged for him to escape before we reach the city." He looked over at Katzu with irritated frown. "Hadn't you told them this yet, Father?"

The old man merely shrugged and smiled, "We got off topic."

Katzu's son shook his head with a small sigh, and Zuko couldn't help but feel for him, being all too familiar with this sort of behavior from his Uncle Iroh.

"At any rate," the guard continued, "I have the entire garrison combing the jungle. That should keep them busy for a few days yet, and by then the Avatar and his companions should be well on their way without any hindrance."

"And who are you exactly?" asked Aang, still angry and suspicious.

"My apologies," offered Katzu, "This is my son Zian. He's captain the city guard and a member of our Order."

"I want to see Appa," the Avatar demanded.

Zian bowed respectfully as he reassured the boy, "I'll arrange for you to see him before you leave this evening." He turned to address the others in the room as he gave another slight bow. "If you will all excuse me, I have preparations to make."

Aang sat back down after he left, still wearing a scowl. He was far from thrilled with the plan, but there wasn't much he could do except trust them.

"Your bison will be safe," Katzu assured him, "Zian will see to it that no harm comes to him. In the meantime, you should both return to your friends. You all have a long journey ahead of you."

Everyone stood up and they were about to leave when Aang turned back to Katzu.

"There's just one more thing I want you to do for me," he stated grimly.

"The Order is at your service," said Katzu with a dutiful bow. "How else can we assist you?"

Aang pondered for a moment, as if contemplating a course of action. He ignored the concerned look that Zuko was giving him, and set his jaw resolutely as he reached his decision.

"I want you to find a way to get Katara, Toph, and Sokka back to the Earth Kingdom."

**

* * *

**

**Author's Note:** I _really_ hope this update wasn't too boring, and that the wealth of information given compensates somewhat for the lack of action, humor, and drama that I typically try to put in my chapters. I promise that things will start to 'heat up' in the next chapter.

Anyway, to make up for the deficiency in this one, I've added the highly requested drawing of the 'Boys in Drag' scene from last chapter to my webpage. It's probably my favorite of all the ones I've done so far, because I think it adds a whole new level of humor to the conversation.

Check it out at www. sasartstudios. com/ samples. html (remove all spaces in the URL or go to my bio page and click the link) and let me know what you think (about the picture, the story…_anything!_!...just throw me a bone please).

* * *


	6. Ch 6 Brotherhood

Katara moved her finger in lazy circles as she idly bent the liquid from her teacup in slow graceful spirals, her mind a million miles away.

"If you don't like my tea, Sweetness, all you have to do is say so," Toph grumbled dryly as she took a sip of her own.

At the disturbance to the water bender's concentration, the airborne tea splashed lightly to the marble floor, eliciting a frown from the blind earth bender, and Katara quickly swooshed the fluid back into the cup and set it aside.

"Sorry, Toph," she apologized, "The tea is fine, I just-"

"Have a lot on your mind," the other girl finished for her. "What else is new?"

Sokka came in from a side room and sat down beside them. Seeing the full teacup next to his sister, he picked it up and took a sip, oblivious to Katara's look of alarm. He made a slight face as he peered into the cup, then shrugged and took another drink.

"So?" prompted Toph.

"So what?" asked Katara, pulling her attention away from her brother.

"_So_, are you going to share this mind numbing burden or what?"

"I'm just concerned about Aang," the water bender said evasively.

"Katara, he's fine," Toph insisted with a sigh. "He's got Iroh and Zuko with him, not to mention his little Pai Sho club buddies."

At the mention of the White Lotus Society, Katara frowned. "It's not that."

"Well then what _is_ it?"

"Hey Toph, what did you put in this tea?" asked Sokka suddenly. "It's pretty good."

"Katara spiced it up for you," she said dismissively with an irritated wave at the interruption. "Now come on, Sugar Queen, spill."

"I'm just worried that Aang might try to do something….foolish, with this White Lotus Society," the water bender finally answered.

"Like what?" asked Toph.

Another frown creased Katara's brow, but instead of answering the question, she whisked the teacup away from Sokka just before he pressed it to his lips again, bent the dirty tea out the window, and poured him a fresh cup.

"That was on the _floor_, Sokka," she informed him irritably when he gave her a surprised and annoyed glare.

"It was in a cup," he replied, baffled.

She opened her mouth to clarify, the shook her head in exasperation. "Never mind."

Meanwhile, Toph was waiting impatiently for an answer, her arms folded across her chest, and her mouth turned down in an aggravated frown.

"You're stalling," she stated evenly.

With a defeated sigh, Katara finally divulged the secret she'd been keeping.

"Before we left the ship, Aang told me he was going to send the three of us back to Omashu."

* * *

Zuko looked at the Avatar in mute dismay, staggered by the boy's request. He wasn't sure why it surprised him so much, since he was already aware of Aang's earlier intentions of sending Toph, Sokka, and Katara back to Omashu. 

Perhaps it was because Aang had been so close to normal for most of the day that Zuko had believed (_hoped_) that the air bender had finally slipped out of his dark mood and forgotten about his desire to leave the others behind. But the realization that this was not the case had a rather unexpected effect on the prince. It made him _furious_.

Katzu opened his mouth to reply, but Zuko interrupted.

"Wait," he commanded severely. Then grabbing the young Avatar by the arm, he leaned down and growled in his ear. "I need to have word with you."

Keeping a firm grip on Aang's arm, he half led, half dragged the boy to the other side of the cellar, where the stacks of crates gave them a measure of privacy. Once they were away from the others, Aang wrenched his arm out of Zuko's grasp with an angry scowl as the prince spun on him irately.

"What do you think you're doing?" Zuko demanded.

"What does it look like?" snapped Aang, "I'm sending them back to Omashu where they'll be safe."

"Don't you think they should have some say in the matter?" challenged the prince.

"I don't expect you to understand," the boy replied coldly, "they aren't _your_ friends."

"Yes, Aang, they _are_!" Zuko shot back. "And I want to protect them just as much as you do! But sending them away isn't fair to them, and you _know_ it!"

"That's easy for _you_ to say," Aang spat, his fists clenched tightly at his sides. "You're only here because _you_ have nothing to lose!"

Ignoring the stab of pain caused by the comment, Zuko shouted vehemently, "And they stand to lose _everything_ if you fail!"

A silence fell between the two boys as they glared heatedly at each other, and sizzling flames flickered momentarily around Aang's clenched fists. Zuko waited until they died down before speaking again, and when he did, his voice was filled with simmering rage.

"It isn't your place to decide their fate for them. If they want to protect you then that should be _their_ choice, not yours."

"I don't _need _anyone's protection," Aang declared petulantly. "Besides, you and Iroh would still be with me. That should be enough."

"You don't _get_ it!" Zuko exploded suddenly, a clear tone of anguish in his voice. The dark fury began to fade from his face, quickly being replaced with one of regret and shame as he bowed his head. "You can't put your faith in me," he whispered painfully.

At this, Aang's anger dimmed somewhat and he regarded the prince with curiosity and apprehension, but Zuko refused to meet his gaze.

"What are you talking about?"

"I was tested in the Shallows," Zuko answered quietly, "and I failed."

"What did Tanha offer you?" asked Aang worriedly.

"It doesn't matter," snapped the prince with a sharp glare. "The point is she got to me. She took control of me. And while she was inside…I could _hear_ her…"

Zuko paused and shook his head, as if trying to clear the lingering memory from his mind. After a moment, he regained a bit of his composure, but when he continued, remorse and self-loathing were etched in his lines of his face.

"Tanha was going to use me to exact her revenge on you. She hated you for trapping her in the Shallows. And if Katara hadn't been there to stop her…to stop _me_, I…I would have..."

As Zuko's voice trailed off, overcome by the agony of what he'd nearly done, Aang could only stare at his friend in astonishment.

"You _can't_ send them away," Zuko insisted wretchedly, "because you _can't trust me_."

Up until that moment, Aang had always believed that Zuko's presence among them was merely a means of self-preservation. After all, the prince had stated as much on several occasions. But now, Aang realized that it went far deeper than that. Zuko genuinely _cared_. He cared for the others, and he cared for Aang. And this revelation left the Avatar completely stunned.

Aang could barely find his voice, and when he did, it sounded small and insignificant.

"Zuko...I-"

"Is everything aright?" interrupted Iroh gently, stepping out of the shadows cast by a stack of crates.

Neither boy answered, instead keeping their gazes fixed on the floor. Seeing this, Iroh continued hesitantly.

"I was discussing your request with Katzu, and he says that he may know of someone who would be willing to take the others back, but-"

"Don't worry about it," Aang interjected calmly, still staring at the ground. Then with a pointed glance at Zuko, he added, "I won't be sending them away."

"I think they would be glad to know that," Iroh agreed perceptively, with an unspoken promise that he would not mention this conversation to the Avatar's friends.

Deciding nothing else needed to be said on the matter, Iroh laid a hand on each boy's shoulder, and gently started guiding the two toward stairs leading out of the cellar.

"You should both head back to the theater for now," Iroh instructed. "I'll be along shortly."

* * *

There was a somber hush in the room when Katara finished telling the two about Aang's intention to send them back to Omashu. After several long moments, Sokka finally spoke up. 

"So you think that Aang will ask the Order to get us out of the country."

"I think he might, yes," confirmed Katara forlornly.

"Why would he _do_ that?" Toph burst out angrily. "After everything we've gone through just to _get_ here, why would he send us away?!"

"Because if something happens to us, he'll never forgive himself," Sokka answered quietly. "Even though we're all here by our own choice, it wouldn't lessen the pain…or the guilt."

Katara reached over and gave her brother a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. She knew that Sokka was all too familiar with the awful burden of such an occurrence. Even now, the memory of Yue's sacrifice haunted him, and she knew it probably always would.

"Well that's just something he'd have to accept, isn't it," Toph remarked soberly, her voice carrying the full weight of the statement to apply to Sokka as much as to Aang.

"Yeah," Sokka admitted meaningfully, "It is."

* * *

Neither Zuko nor Aang said anything to each other as they made their way through the crowded streets back to the theater. As the silence between them deepened, Aang finally ventured an apology. 

"I'm sorry about earlier," he began hesitantly, "I had no right to say those things."

"You were angry," Zuko responded curtly.

"That's still no excuse," insisted Aang remorsefully.

Glancing over at the young Avatar, Zuko could see that Aang wasn't going to let go of his guilt easily, and he suddenly felt a bit ashamed of his own anger.

"Forget about it," offered Zuko sincerely, "it's not a big deal."

"So…we're still friends then…right?"

At this, Zuko threw Aang an incredulous look. The bizarre irony that this boy, whom Zuko had fought and chased all over the world, was fearful of losing a friendship with his former enemy as a result of a single argument was almost enough to make the banished prince laugh out loud. As it was, he couldn't repress a small smile of wonder.

"Yes," Zuko nodded amusedly, "we're still friends." Then with mock reproach, he scolded, "But don't you ever flare your fists at me like that again, or you might find yourself getting a lesson you aren't prepared for."

Hearing what he was beginning to recognize as Zuko's rather biting form of playful banter, Aang rewarded his friend and teacher with a sarcastic grin, and he muttered a teasing reply under his breath so that only they two could hear.

"Yes, Sifu Zuko."

With the air between them clear once more, the journey to the theater became far more pleasant, and Aang started looking around at the city for the first time. A gleam in the sunlight at a nearby stall caught the air bender's eye.

"Hey, check this thing out!" he crowed, and he hurried off to investigate.

Zuko was so relieved to have the old Aang back that he didn't even protest. But when he saw what had captured the boy's attention, he groaned.

"Not a _sungi horn_."

Determined to stay as far away from the blasted instrument as possible, the prince busied himself instead with looking around at the other shops and watching the citizens of Kazimizu go about their daily lives. It suddenly felt so strange to be in his own homeland, walking among his own people, and yet be a complete outsider.

He found himself trying to catch bits of conversations, if only to get some insight into what life in the Fire Nation was really like now, but nothing anyone said seemed to make any sense. It was like listening to an ancient tongue not spoken in a thousand years. That is, until he heard a voice he knew.

It was a simple laugh, which somehow miraculously carried across the din of the street. But as his mind conjured the memory of that same sound from so many years ago, in a sunlit garden near a pond of turtle ducks, he was certain it was _hers_.

Desperately casting his eyes around the busy street, he listened in vain for another whisper of that sound, or the glimpse of a familiar figure. He was so franticly focused on his goal that he was startled practically witless when Aang's face popped up in front of him.

"Look at what I got!" he beamed, holding up a small metal flute. But when he saw Zuko's pale and shaken visage staring out at the street, Aang frowned with worry. "Are you okay? You look like you just saw a ghost."

In the time it took for Aang to get the words out, Zuko had found what he was seeking. A fair distance down the street, a tall woman approached a waiting wagon, pulling a hood over her head as she glanced in his direction. He didn't see her face, but the motion was so hauntingly familiar…it was the last thing he'd seen _her_ do.

She was on the wagon now, and it was quickly moving away. Without a word, without even a second thought, Zuko began pushing his way through the crowd, trying to keep the woman in sight.

"Hey! Wait!" cried Aang, "The theater is back this way."

But Zuko had already been swallowed by the crowd, and Aang hurriedly began pushing his way through as well in an attempt to follow his friend. He stopped himself before making the mistake of calling the prince's name, and wished he could use his air bending to speed his progress and catch up.

Meanwhile Zuko was still racing to get closer to the receding wagon. But the street suddenly seemed to be ten times busier that it was just a moment before, with people crossing into his path at every step. His heart made a rapid decent into his stomach as the wagon got further and further away, until at last he lost sight of it altogether.

He stood there staring at the street for a moment as a wave of renewed loss washed over him. His eyes were burning in his skull, and his throat felt like it was filled with sand.

At last, he turned away dejectedly, and slammed right into the bulk of a solid body with such force that it knocked him to the ground, his hood falling away from his face. An angry and sinkingly familiar voice bellowed from above him.

"Hey! Watch where yer go-"

The moment Zuko looked up and saw that horrid green reptile bird perched on the man's shoulders he knew he was in trouble.

"Well, well, well…" the old pirate captain chuckled as his shipmates gathered around the prince. "Look who's back from the dead."

* * *

_Commercial break_

**Author's note: **I'm afraid I don't have any new story suggestions this time. I tend to be pretty picky about what I read and recommend to others, and I haven't been able to find three that really caught my fancy.

So instead, I'd like to hear YOUR recommendations. What good stories have _you_ found lately? Please leave a review and let me know about them, but _**don't**_** provide a link**; FanFiction will _automatically delete it from the review_. Just give the name and author and I can find it from there.


	7. Ch 7 Association

**Author's note:** Sorry it took so long to get this update posted. I've been sick most of the week and not feeling well enough to sit at the computer and write. But here it is (finally). Thanks for being so patient.

And now, back to the 'show'!

* * *

Before he had time to recover, the five pirates descended on him like a pack a wolves, and the next thing Zuko knew he was being dragged down an alley. A flash of indignant anger raced through the prince, and he silently cursed Ozai for being so obsessed with ruling the world that he was ignoring the protection of his own cities, letting thugs and scoundrels like these pirates roam freely within the borders of the Fire Nation. 

He was still reflecting on these sour thoughts when one of the pirates, a burly fellow twice Zuko's size, slammed the prince head first against a wall, pinning the fire bender's arms helplessly to the middle of his back. As the burst of pain in his skull subsided, Zuko's irritation at his father dissolved into self-disgust; this was really no one's fault but his own, and he mentally kicked himself for running off and-

Unheard by his captors, he gasped under his breath, "I left Aang!"

What had he been _thinking_? But that was just it, he realized bitterly as he hung his spinning head; he _hadn't_ been thinking. He'd dashed off on an impulse, completely disregarding anything beyond his own selfish desires. Once again, he'd failed.

The ring of steel being pulled loose from a scabbard followed by a vile and heartless cackle brought an abrupt end to Zuko's internal self-lecture.

"It's not everyday I get paid _twice_ fer killing someone," the captain remarked.

Zuko didn't bother with a reply, his mind racing as he tried to think of a way of out his predicament and get back to Aang. He struggled against his captor, but the man only tugged harder on the prince's arms, yanking Zuko around to face the captain and forcing the teen to his knees.

"Not so tough without yer crew, are ya?" the captain taunted, pressing the point of his sword against Zuko's neck.

"You're one to talk!" interjected a young but forceful voice from the end of the alley.

All eyes turned to the dark-haired, red clad boy with a headband, his arms up before him in a basic fire-bending stance. The pirates blinked in surprise for a moment, and then the captain burst out in a bawdy laugh, his crew quickly joining him in his raucous amusement.

Meanwhile, Zuko held his breath, fearing that the pirates would recognize the Avatar. But when the captain waved a dismissive hand, the prince realized they had no idea who they were dealing with and he indulged in a knowing smirk.

"Get rid o' the brat," the captain ordered before turning back to his prize. "As fer you, we can do this th' quick way, er the painful way. Whad'ya think?"

Zuko was still grinning wickedly when he answered, "I think you owe Zhao his money back."

In the next instant, two things happened at once. The pirates who had moved toward Aang per their captain's instructions were suddenly forced to duck for cover to avoid the surprisingly powerful blast of flames launched by their small opponent, while at the same time Zuko blew a breath of fire right into the captain's face.

The reptile bird squawked as it flew away with singed feathers, and the captain staggered back, arms flailing wildly to pat out his burning beard and hair. The brawny pirate holding Zuko relaxed his grip just enough for the fire bender to spring into action. Grabbing the other man by the arms, Zuko swung him headlong into the panicked captain and lept to his own feet.

At the other end of the alley, the two pirates charged with taking out the young newcomer had recovered from the initial shock of being quite literally fired upon, and were now bearing down on the Avatar with weapons drawn, dodging the sporadic blasts coming from his fists. They didn't know they were playing right into his hand, however, and were unpleasantly surprised when the boy dropped down and swung his leg around in a wide arc, shooting flames from his foot.

Leaping haphazardly over the unexpected blaze, they collided with one another in mid air and tumbled to the ground in a heap. Looking up from the fallen pirates, Aang spotted Zuko still fighting the third man he'd been left with, while the other two were starting to recover. One of them was the captain, his sword poised and ready to plunge into the occupied fire bender's spine.

With his back turned to them, Zuko didn't see the oncoming threat, and Aang had only enough time to shout a desperate warning as he rushed forward, fists blazing.

"Behind you!"

Zuko turned just as the sword dove toward him, biting deeply into the flesh of his left arm, which was certainly better than the deathblow he'd have gotten otherwise. But it was still a critical strike, and the wounded prince let out a cry of agony as the blade was pulled free of his arm. The wave of pain that ensued dropped him to his knees.

Meanwhile, Aang continued his forward momentum, throwing fireball after fireball at the men to ward them away from his injured friend before any of them could get another hit in. Within moments, the Avatar was at Zuko's side, pulling the prince back to his feet.

But as soon as Aang's barrage of flames let up, the three pirates immediately started closing in on them, while the two sailors that had been taken down a moment before started approaching menacingly as well.

Thus surrounded the two boys turned to face their opponents, standing back to back. Guessing at what the Avatar might be thinking, Zuko whispered a low warning.

"Reveal _nothing_."

"But-"

"Just do the set you learned last week when I give the signal," Zuko hissed before Aang could protest.

The Avatar nodded grimly…and waited.

Just before the captain lunged forward, Zuko shouted, "Now!"

In a synergy of movement, both fire benders thrust forward with searing flames, one hand after the other keeping their attackers at bay. Then they spun in tandem, kicking out with their feet to form a circle of raging fire around them.

The heat of the blast flung the men back in every direction, throwing them against the alley walls in a chorus of pain and surprise. Their enemies dispatched, Aang looked over at Zuko and gasped when he saw the extent of his friend's cut. The sword looked to have stabbed all the way through and out the other end.

"Your arm!"

"Never mind that," the prince said through gritted teeth, clamping his hand over the wound to staunch the flow of blood. "We need to get out of here," he added as the telltale sound of metal shod boots echoed from the street.

Aang nodded and the two hurried down the alley, away from the approaching soldiers. And when a moment later, the city guard arrived on the scene in response to the reported disturbance, all they found were five slightly singed and very bruised pirates.

Little was said on the way back to the theater, mostly just abrupt discussions on which way they needed to go. And Aang was so worried about Zuko's injury, that he never even thought to ask why the prince had run off in the first place.

* * *

Katara had started fretting almost immediately after Iroh arrived without Aang and Zuko, despite the general's assurance that they were fine, and had probably just gotten turned around on their way back. In truth, Iroh was concerned as well, but kept his fears to himself and occupied his time by challenging Sokka to a game of Pai Sho. 

But now, as the sun continued its rendezvous with the horizon, and the shadows deepened across the city, everyone was getting extremely worried. Katara was anxiously pacing the length of the room, while Toph sat on the ground with both hands pressed to the floor.

"Would you stop pacing already?" she snapped at Katara. "I'm trying to watch for them but I've only got so much stone to work with here. The rest of the place has wood floors your vibrations are distracting me."

"Sorry, Toph."

Only the sound of Momo's snoring broke the long minute of silence that followed. But then Katara resumed her pacing.

"Maybe someone should go looking for-"

"They're back!" interrupted Toph, getting to her feet and hurrying past Katara to open the door.

Aang didn't get two steps into the room before Katara rushed over and hugged him with relief. But when he tensed uncomfortably in her embrace, she quickly released him and stepped back.

"Where have you been?" she demanded. Then her eyes fell on Zuko, one hand clamped down in a vain effort to staunch the bleeding cut on his upper arm, and she gasped in alarm.

"What happened?" asked Iroh, running over to his nephew who looked close to fainting.

The injured teen didn't say a word as Iroh led him to a soft pallet on the floor and eased him down gently in a sitting position. Katara came over to inspect the wound while Aang answered their questions.

"We ran into a little trouble on the way back," he told them. Then, seeing their expressions of alarm, he hastened to add, "but it was nothing we couldn't handle, and no one recognized me."

"What about Zuko?" inquired Sokka quietly, already guessing the truth.

"That's what got us into trouble," admitted Aang sheepishly.

"Jenzu's coming," Toph announced, recognizing the familiar footsteps approaching.

She let him in before he even had a chance to knock, and the others turned toward him anxiously as he addressed Aang.

"I thought you'd be glad to know that your attackers have been locked away, and will not bother you further," he informed them. "So far, no one believes their story about seeing the prince, but Zian isn't allowing their hearing to be scheduled for another month, just to be certain."

"So Aang and Zuko are safe?" asked Toph uncertainly.

"Yes," the old man assured, "And Katzu will be by shortly with your traveling papers. You will need them as you make your way to the capital. Avatar, if you will come with me, I will take you to your bison so you may see he is well before you leave."

"Thank you, Jenzu," Iroh said gratefully.

Aang hesitated at first, throwing a worried look at Zuko. But Katara was already working on the severe gash, and the Avatar realized that there was nothing he could do but rely on her abilities. With a silent nod of appreciation toward Jenzu, Aang followed him out the door.

Once they were gone, Toph walked over to where Katara was trying to heal the prince. The blind earth bender couldn't see the cut, or large bruise forming on his forehead, or how pale he was, but she could feel his uneven heartbeat and dropping blood pressure, and she could hear that his breathing was ragged.

"Is he going to be okay?" asked the blind girl awkwardly.

"It's a deep cut, and he's lost a lot of blood," Katara answered with unmasked concern as she worked on the laceration with her bending. "I need more water…"

Sokka was on his feet in an instant and heading for the washroom. "I'm on it."

"Katara, I think you better lay him down," warned Toph, "'cause he's about to-"

She didn't get a chance to finish before Zuko slumped forward into unconsciousness.

"Faint."

* * *

Zian was waiting for Aang and Jenzu when they arrived at the corral where Appa was being held, the posted guards fast asleep. As he led the Avatar into the pen, he apologized quietly. 

"I'm afraid you don't have much time," he said, hanging back a good distance from the mammoth beast. "The sleeping draught I slipped them will wear off soon."

"And you _promise_ he'll be safe?" asked Aang, his voice filled with misgivings as he rubbed the shaggy bison's head, much to Appa's delight.

"I'll be personally overseeing his transfer to the capital," Zian vowed earnestly, "no harm will come to him."

Aang nodded solemnly and walked back over Zian. "Then in that case, you two should be properly introduced."

The captain of the guard balked a bit as Appa ambled over to within a hair's breadth of him, but he cautiously reached out and rubbed the huge, furry head. The bison let out a grunt of approval, and Aang couldn't help but smile.

If Appa trusted this man, then so would Aang.

* * *


	8. Ch 8 Dues

**Author's note:** I was so out of it when I posted my last chapter that I forgot to mention I added a new image to www. sasartstudios. com/ samples. html (remove all spaces in the URL or go to my bio page and click the link)

I also updated my image from 'The Shallows' with a new one. The old one can still be viewed upon mouse-over, just so everyone can see how awful it was and understand why I re-did it.

Sorry I forgot to mention it last time…

* * *

Returning to consciousness was a slow and awkward process. The first sensation he was aware of was a ringing in his ears, and when he opened his eyes, the light filtered in dimly as though traversing a dark fog. Everything seemed alien, and for a moment he wasn't entirely sure _who_ he was, let alone where. 

But as the ringing gave way to a buzzing and the light finally began to penetrate his sight, his sense of identity gradually came back to him. He looked blearily around the room; everything still muddled and blurred, and spotted a familiar figure dressed in dark red kneeling beside him. He blinked groggily as he recognized her through a jumbled haze of memories.

"Mom?" he croaked in confusion, his dry throat not willing to release any more than a raspy whisper.

The woman turned upon hearing his hoarse and unintelligible voice, and his vision began to shift into focus. Her dark hair and pale skin melded into warm shades of brown, and the gold eyes sharpened to reveal mere lamplight reflecting on a brilliant blue.

Zuko felt a brief pang of disappointment when he realized it was only Katara. But then he noticed her lips were moving, and he tried to listen past the humming in his ears so he could understand what she was saying.

"…arm isn't fully healed yet, but I got the worst of it. You have a slight concussion too; I was just about to get started on that."

"Where is everyone?" he asked as he struggled to sit up, seeing that the room was empty save for the two of them.

"Aang went to see Appa," she replied, scooting around from his left side and repositioning herself behind him so she could better reach the large, bruised contusion on his forehead. "And the others went downstairs to eat so I could concentrate on healing you."

Laying one hand on his bare shoulder, she tenderly pulled his head down onto her lap and drew up some more water with her other hand to begin healing his forehead.

Now Zuko was no stranger to Katara's unique abilities, for she'd healed a number of minor cuts and burns for him since he'd started travelling with the Avatar. But this time, when her cool, water-encased hands made contact with his scalp, Zuko was inexplicably engulfed by the strangest sense of disorientation.

He was suddenly reminded of being in that dingy little apartment in Ba Sing Se, burning with fever and perilously thirsty. It was an agony beyond mere physical dehydration, but he had no concept then of how to satisfy that need. And he recalled his frustration at being unable to quench this deep-rooted desire for water, so much so that he'd flung the drained bucket across the room in irritation and disgust.

But this was different. Even though the glowing liquid didn't touch his parched lips, he felt overwhelmingly sated and restored. He wondered vaguely if _this_ water, this _touch_, would have satisfied him then; would have slaked the indefinable thirst he'd felt during his fever. Involuntarily, he sighed and leaned his head into that soothing caress…and decided that it would have.

"Is that helping?" asked Katara gently.

He barely nodded, giving a slight "mmm-hm," in reply.

"You know you gave us quite a scare," the healer remarked casually. And when Momo alighted on Zuko's chest to peer anxiously into his face, she giggled and added, "See? Even Momo was worried."

Zuko couldn't help but chuckle weakly as he sardonically replied, "He's just afraid of losing the extra food I that I sneak to him off my plate."

But despite this un-endearing comment, the prince fondly rubbed the tender spot behind the lemur's ears, eliciting a relaxed purr from the little creature. Seeing it, Katara smiled.

"That or he just likes the way you pet him," she observed good-naturedly.

As Katara's fingers brushed against Zuko's skin again, he closed his eyes in a flood of contentment and murmured.

"Right now, I know exactly how he feels."

* * *

Two figures, hooded and cloaked, made their way silently to the royal stables. They ducked into the shadows and waited for a guard to pass, then continued on their way. Once inside, they noticed a number of unconscious sentries. 

"Ty Lee is already here, I see," remarked Azula with satisfaction.

As they walked down the long row of stalls, Mai cast a hesitant glance at her companion.

"If the Fire Lord wants you to go after Zuko," she mused dolefully, "then why are we sneaking out in the middle of the night?"

Azula paused thoughtfully before answering with simple honesty, "Because my father isn't sending me."

At this, the somber young noblewoman stopped dead in her tracks, staring incredulously at the princess's back. Hearing the sudden halt, Azula stopped as well and turned to face the other girl.

"Tell me, Mai," Azula requested indifferently, "what are your feelings for Zuko?"

"How should I know?" she replied with a dispassionate shrug, "I haven't even seen him in over three years. People change."

"So you don't care if he lives or dies?"

Mai didn't reply, but she didn't have to. The flicker of dismay that crossed her face told Azula everything the princess needed to know. Adopting a sympathetic and benign expression, Azula took a step toward Mai.

"I didn't want to tell you this before," the princess confessed apologetically, "because I thought it might upset you. But my father wants Zuko dead."

Even though Mai already knew this, and was furious that Azula took this long to tell her, she pretended to absorb the news with her customary apathy.

"Is that why you're going after him?" she asked carefully.

"No," Azula insisted sincerely. Then, laying a hand on her friend's shoulder, she explained, "He's still my brother, Mai. And if there's a chance I can _help_ him, bring him _home_ so he can beg Father's forgiveness, then I have to try."

Looking into Azula's earnest face, Mai found it difficult to believe that the cunning princess could be lying. But if there was one thing she'd learned during the years of their friendship, it was that Azula could make anyone believe anything.

"He'll never listen to you," Mai pointed out coolly.

"I know," replied the princess, looking down sadly. Then she returned her gaze to Mai once more, and it was almost pleading. "But he might listen to _you_. He was always fond of you. After all, you two were betrothed."

This time, Mai was completely stunned, and there was nothing she could do to hide her reaction. This was something she had never been aware of, but that she had daydreamed about when she was a girl. Azula watched carefully as Mai's cheeks flushed ever so slightly, and waited until the color faded before speaking again.

"So will you help me?"

Forcing herself to remain nonchalant, Mai carefully regarded her friend, her eyes lingering on the glaring red mark etched across the princess's once flawless face. She knew better than to believe everything Azula had said, but ultimately realized there was only one way to determine if she was telling the truth. At last, she let out a bored sigh and walked past Azula, continuing on down the corridor.

"It's bound to be more exciting that sitting around the palace."

With her back turned to the princess, Mai didn't see the satisfied smirk that crossed Azula's face as she followed behind in the shadows.

* * *

The silence of the subterranean passage was periodically broken by stifled yawns as the Avatar and his five companions trudged through the darkness. Iroh and Aang lit the way, the young air bender being most pleased with himself for keeping the bright flame in his hand under perfect control, despite how tired he felt. 

A short distance behind them, Sokka stumbled sleepily into Toph for what had to be the hundredth time since they entered the hidden tunnel Zian had brought them to so they could exit the city undetected. So far, the blind earth bender had been patient with him, but her temper was quickly beginning to sour.

"Can't you watch where you're going?" she snapped, pushing him back into an upright position.

"Hey, it's not my fault Katara didn't come tell us when she was done so we could all have gotten a little more sleep," he complained.

"I already said I was sorry!" his sister retorted hotly. "I can't help it if I was tired. _And_," she added quickly, anticipating Sokka's next comment, "It's not Zuko's fault either; he fell asleep right before I did."

At the back of the group, unseen by the others, Zuko hung his head guiltily upon hearing Katara's statement; the truth was this situation _was_ his fault. It was _his_ fault he was recognized, _his_ fault he was injured. Because of his foolishness, Aang had been put in danger. The prince's footsteps slowed as the banter of his friends continued.

"Yeah, Sokka," interjected Aang from over his shoulder, "Besides, you're the one who wouldn't let me go upstairs to check on them when I got back."

"Oh, so then I suppose it's _my_ fault we didn't get enough sleep?" the warrior cried indignantly.

"You're the one who said it," taunted Toph brightly.

By now, they were nearing the end of the tunnel, and the pale light of pre-dawn glimmered in from the jungle beyond. Zuko had fallen a good distance behind, and he stopped just shy of the circle of soft radiance spilling into the passageway. The others were about to step outside when Toph noticed he wasn't moving.

"You fall asleep back there, Princey?" she called.

Lost in thought, Zuko didn't answer, and when no reply came, the others turned to see what was wrong. Aang took a hesitant step forward.

"You coming, Zuko?"

A long silence ensued, before Zuko answered simply, "No."

Shocked by his response, the group looked around at each other in confusion.

"What do you mean, 'no'?" asked Sokka in bewilderment.

"I'm not coming with you," Zuko clarified quietly.

Again, the group glanced at one another with puzzled expressions. But as no further explanation seemed to be forthcoming, Aang decided to guess at the reason.

"This is about what happened earlier, isn't it?"

A penitent bow of his head was the only reply the teen offered.

"Zuko," the Avatar began timidly, "you can't blame yourself for that. It was-"

"My _fault!" _he interrupted heatedly. "What if they had recognized you too, Aang? What do you think would have happened? My father may have a price on my head, but _the whole Fire Nation_ is after _the Avatar_. And if they find _me_, they find _you_!" he ranted. Then more softly, he added, "I can't let that happen."

No one had a response for Zuko's concerns. They were valid, and everyone knew it. Due to his scar, there was no mistaking the prince's identity, and the military was already aware that he was travelling with the Avatar. If Zuko were to be found, it wouldn't take anyone long to track down Aang as well.

"But…what about you?" Katara finally ventured.

"I stand a better chance of slipping through places unnoticed if I'm alone," he replied, the tone of his voice indicating that he'd already thought this through completely. "So I'll take a different route and meet up with you outside the capital, in Port Shukumei, before the eclipse."

After another moment of silence during which everyone absorbed this plan, Iroh cleared his throat, and turned to address the Avatar's group.

"Will you all excuse us a moment?" he requested gently. "I need to have a word with my nephew."

They nodded their assent and stepped out of the corridor into the jungle, leaving Iroh and Zuko alone. The old fire bender walked up to the prince and regarded him critically, but said nothing.

"You won't change my mind, Uncle," Zuko said firmly, unable to look the man in the eye.

"I hadn't planned on trying," Iroh told him, at which point Zuko looked at his uncle with surprise…and a hint of suspicion. Seeing it, Iroh sighed. "I think your decision is both sensible and honorable. And, I know, that it must have been a difficult choice to make."

"Not really," Zuko retorted with forced gruffness, "it'll be nice to have some peace and quiet for a change."

At this, Iroh chuckled warmly and placed a hand on his nephew's shoulder.

"You're not fooling anyone, Zuko," he confided, "I've seen how much you care about them, even when you think you are hiding it. And what you are doing now only proves how you truly feel. Still," the old general added slyly, "I can't help but wonder if there isn't something you aren't telling us."

Knowing that keeping a secret from Iroh was about as pointless as lying to Toph, Zuko let out a heavy sigh. He might as well tell him now and get it over with, since he knew his uncle would never let it go otherwise.

"I think…I think I saw my mother here in Kazimizu," admitted the prince uncertainly.

Whatever ulterior motive Iroh was expecting to hear from his nephew, it wasn't this. And the retired general couldn't help but be skeptical about what Zuko might have really seen.

"Zuko," he warned seriously, "Ursa has been missing for almost ten years. No one is even sure if she-"

"I'm aware of that, Uncle!" snapped Zuko. "But…if there's a chance…if it really _was_ her…Uncle I _have_ to know," he finished with a look of desperate pleading in his eyes.

Iroh sighed once more, and nodded his acceptance of Zuko's choice. "Just be careful, Nephew," he cautioned, and then he gave the boy a swift hug, which Zuko returned before stepping away.

"I will."

Iroh smiled gently and walked away. But as he got about halfway to the exit, he turned and called back softly.

"They would understand if you told them."

Without waiting for a response, Iroh continued on toward the opening, and smiled again when a faint whisper echoed back through the tunnel.

"I know."

Just as Zuko was about to head back the way he'd come, he was stopped by another voice.

"Zuko, wait!" called Aang.

Turning to see what he wanted, Zuko waited for the Avatar to approach; pet lemur perched on the air bender's shoulder. The boy seemed to hesitate for a moment, as though coming to a decision of his own, before suddenly reaching up to his shoulder so Momo could move to his lower arm. He then held the lemur out to the prince.

"Take Momo with you," he instructed resolutely.

No explanation was given, but despite his shock at the gesture Zuko didn't need one. He understood what Aang was trying to express. It was both a request and a promise; a silent plea for Zuko to come back to them, and a pledge that he would be welcomed when he returned. So it was with great reverence that the prince extended his arm out to Momo, who promptly scampered up it to rest on Zuko's shoulder.

Without a word, the two boys bowed respectfully to each other, and the next moment, Aang was hurrying back down the corridor to where the rest of the group was waiting outside. Zuko craned his head to one side and looked at his new traveling companion, and the little creature blinked serenely back at him.

"You're just going to be another mouth to feed, aren't you?" the prince asked wryly.

Momo only purred in response, and Zuko shook his head with a rueful grin.

"That's what I thought."

Taking one last pining look at the light shining in from the end of the tunnel, Zuko slowly turned and headed back into the darkness.

_fin_

**

* * *

**

**Author's note:** So this chapter went a little longer than it probably should have, but I figure since some of the others in this 'episode' were a bit on the short side, it all balances out in the end.

For those of you who aren't aware, each segment of these 'episodes' is only meant to represent approximately _three_ minutes of animation. As near as I can tell, that gives me about 2000-2200 words per story chapter. I try to adjust word count to allow for physical descriptions and such but for the most part, I do my best to hold to the format I've established.

I'm mentioning this because someone remarked that things seem to move too fast, and I wanted to explain the reason why this is so. It isn't always easy to curtail my propensity to go into lengthy details when I write, but it's often necessary in order for me to give these stories an actual episode-like feel. I hope you all understand.

And now, please (_please_) tell me what you thought of this. It was one of the more difficult 'episodes' I've done, and I am very anxious to know if I pulled it off or not.

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